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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> as the international criminal court investigates events in libya, president obama tells muammar gaddafi to go. >> he needs to step down from power and leave. >> opposition fighters and rebels hold their ground. 200,000 migrant workers have now fled libya. an international operation is under way to get them home. welcome to bbc news. coming up, britain's governing coalition partners have come in sixth place in a parliamentary election.

the turmoil in libya has continued with libya at launching fresh attacks spirits the prosecutor of the criminal court has confirmed that he will investigate colonel khadafy and his inner circle for crimes against humanity. >> of the violence must stop. muammar gaddafi, he has lost legitimacy to lead. those who perpetrate violence against the libyan people will be held accountable. the aspirations of the libyan people are freedom, democracy, and dignity. they must be matched. >> we will have some analysis from washington, d.c.

>> after yesterday's victorious battle, the rebel volunteers flocked in a high state of nervousness. an air raid on the town, the nervousness grew worse. one man accident led off a grenade. for the most part, these are not trained soldiers. discipline is pretty much nonexistent. some remarkable pictures show the scope of yesterday's battle. shocked by a rebel soldier and there is no reason to doubt its of this intensity -- of its authenticity. the rebels morale is far higher. and that is what counts in the

end. the air force still loyal to colonel khadafy play a part in the -- colonel gaddafi played a part in the fighting. half a dozen people were killed on the rebel side. one man went to the local hospital to get news of his missing son. he found his body there. >> this is my son. >> later, at the funerals took place of several of the dead. a number of casualties in the battle were surprisingly small. a reminder that -- of a very limited scope of this war. is rebels' command structure pretty vague. a senior officer has been sent from been gauzy to take command here. he told me that the rebels will be to consolidate their forces

before they can launch their own attitudes. he has his own problems. he is congratulating his ragtag army after the victim yesterday when they realize that there were two prisoners supposedly mercenaries inside the vehicle. in the end, he managed to get the prisoners to safety. we drove on to the new front line, 30 miles farther west. the burned out vehicles were left by the roadside as the colonel's men escaped. this is the front lines, the checkpoint here is the third that the rebels have reached in this strange war. 50 miles down that road lies the town where muammar gaddafi is army was beaten back after their defeat. there is nothing between here

except desert. for now, there is sale will end the fighting, but the rebels intend to move on acid is they can. -- move on as soon as they can. >> our correspondent in washington it says there has been a change in language from president obama and the white house. >> one thing was clearly a change in tone. the language is much harsher. a direct threat to anyone associated with his government. if you are found out to be responsible for violence, we will bring you to account. the big question is what the united states can actually do about libya short of using direct, terry force. we're the president talk about how he is preparing a full range

of options. we are prepared to use military action if we're pushed to that point, but that is not where the u.s. government is at the moment. it is a lesser preferred options. we have had a lot of talk about the idea of a no-flight zone over libya. that would require military action. the united states is not ruling out that option, but is reluctant to commit to it. the reasons for that essentially are one that the united states have commitments elsewhere, like afghanistan, and how to direct military action would be perceived by people and leaders elsewhere in the middle east. >> he is an egyptian surgeon in eastern libya were at least 14 were killed.

earlier, i spoke to him and asked him how long he had been in libya. >> i have been in libya for a week now. we are offering medical surgical help to the libyan people who have been injured. >> have you, as a group? >> 7 egyptian surgeons. i am you're working at the medical facility about 70 kilometers from where it happens. >> can you describe what you have seen in the city? >> in the past two weeks, we have received several patients, 14 people were killed. we have received them here at the medical facility. the type of injuries ranged from concept -- gunshot injuries.

as well as we have had seen people who have been shot by a aircraft bullets. we tried to get several bullets out of several patients. luckily, some injured people survived from this attack. >> what sort of conditions are you working in? what sort of resources and the supplies that you have in the hospitals where you are working? >> [inaudible] we have many major obstacles here. unfortunately, the only medical facility that we had -- that we currently have -- i can still

get the medical supplies. we are trying to contact medical [inaudible] >> 8 workers and charities are struggling to cope with vast people who have been streaming out of libya. >> they call this "the time of change." for these men, it also means cold, hunger, and uncertainty. the best part of the 90,000 foreigners have been driven across this border. some have spent weeks just trying to get to this point. but the smiles say it all correct they are on a bus bound for the airports and the promise of a ticket back home. a small provincial airports in a quiet town has become a transit point for what the united

nations calls a humanitarian crisis. there is no chaos or panic here. just relief and astonishing patients. the turmoil in libya has unleashed a maximum vibration across the border and into tunisia. charities are working flat out and britain and other european nations are helping hundreds of these people at a time carriage -- at a time. today, more than 60 flights are heading that way. most here are addiction. -- most here are egyptian. he is heading home to cairo on a flight paid for by britain. >> he thinks god, tunisia, and the british government for helping him. it is a common sentiment. >> thank you for britain.

>> today's jet -- tunusians have opened their hearts on their pockets for the refugees. >> people the need help. we need help from all over the world. we cannot do everything alone. >> the final leg of their journey to britain has begun. pretty remarkable scenes when a british holiday is sent to run mercy missions for refugees. for every man who leads, many more are still waiting trade with the violence continuing, this exodus shows no signs of leaving. >> there is one other lydia related story. the director of the economics has resigned over khaddafi parity recognize the

university's reputation had suffered an said betty had to quit. -- and said that he had to quit. the interim president of tunisia get says that he will stay in office until the new elections are held in july. it limits caretaker president to 60 days in office. the constitution says -- no longer has any credibility. for the latest information, you can head to bbc.com. they live shot dead a least six women. hundreds of them are taking part in a demonstration over disputed elections in the game under fire. the women were demanding an that

the hand of the presidency over to the international recognized lender. -- winner, . >> they nicknamed this place baghdad. they are paying the price. peaceful protests by women on thursday it was broken up when the police fired live rounds on the ground, scabbling -- on the crowd, killing several women. >> i was going outside and they were shooting several times. i could see the rockets passing over me. i decided to remove my children and move them in the house.

>> all this violence has prompted hundreds of thousands to flee. >> it has been terrible. gunfire during the night and during the day. it has affected a lot of families prayed some chose to move back to the village is very early in the morning. >> u.n. peacekeepers are patrolling around the city. political deadlock looks increasingly unbreakable as many fear that the country is sliding toward civil war. >> this is bbc news. as fighting continues in libya,

president obama has called for colonel khadafy to step down. the international criminal court is investigating about whether or not crimes against humanity had been ordered by a libyan officials. if the u.s., britain, france, and tunisia are providing planes. in the u.k., the opposition labour party has won a parliamentary election. labor took 61% for the vote. >> it has been a good night for the labor party. he has been replaced by a another carry it he is a

mannesmann 30's, an officer in the british army. anhe is a man in his 30's, officer in the british army. a good night for labor, but it was to be expected. anything less would have been embarrassing for the new leader. a very bad night for the liberal democrats. they are one in two parties in government in the u.k. and they have slept from second place -- slipped from second place to sixth, barely mustering 1000 votes for their candidate. they will see this result has been the first side of the kind of things they can expect in some parts of the u.k. as the coalition government.

>> let's get more on libya it now. hugo chavez has put forth a proposal for mediation. we can talk like about that proposal. what is he proposing? >> he is proposing a negotiated solution to this crisis and libya. as of right now, it seems as though the proposed person who would leave the initiative is not heed the chavez is itself. -- hugo chavez himself. this is not any kind of foreign intervention or initiative that is looking to threaten the libyan government or the people of libya. instead of trying to threaten

and do some kind of aggression against libya and encouraged further bloodshed, then to try to halt the country to dialogue for peace. >> has there been any reaction from libya? >> there was a conversation earlier today between he could chavez and muammar gaddafi. he accepted the proposal. it has been accepted and is being considered by the arab league of nations. the most unborn part is that the people of libya accept it. -- the most important part is that the people of libya accepted. that'd be something that both sides of the conflict accept. are we are looking at a situation where he is not willing to step down.

he is not going into exile. either there will be further bloodshed, we want this to be a peaceful situation. we do not want there to be more war and violence. it is one of the most sensible proposals so far to date in this conflict and libya. we hope that it will happen. we hope that it will become a reality for libya. that libya will accept the aid of foreign nations to open dialogue to peace. >> you mentioned the bloodshed. what does he say to of those other latin american leaders? >> he has not stood up for what he stands for or what he is doing. he has been very clear in the

sense that he said that venezuela supports the libyan people, but they do not support any government or any initiative that is engaging in any kind of massive violence against its people. that is not a part of informed policy. that is what is taking place. he said that we have to be very prudent and looking at the situation in libya. there was a coup d'etat against chavez himself. it turned out to be an absolute lie and that was prevented i am not justified the scenario. we cannot come to any conclusions yet. as things stand right now, we

cannot allow the violence to continue. we have to find a solution that will lead to peace. some kind of dialogue. >> thank you very much for your time. an associate of the off former egyptian president. the new prime minister took part in the street protests against mubarak. there is clear evidence that activist taking part in peaceful protest had been beaten and prisons by the same army that promised to protect them. >> the army likes its soft reputation for supporting the people. after dark, they feel the part -- a view the protesters in a different way.

>> stop filming, give me the camera, the soldier said. we are brothers, the crowd shouts back. >> he was picked up by troops that night. he was beaten and arrested. his family and other families demanded to see him. the military did not want to film them or your their stories. his brother told us how he had already been on trial and sentenced to five years in jail. >> it was a three minute hearing. no witnesses. no lawyers. no chance for appeal. it is not right. it is not legal. the present -- the revolution brought mubarak's 30-year reign to an end. it was not just mr. mubarak they wanted to replace. it was the whole system.

today, they scored another victory. the prime minister stepped down. replaced by a former [inaudible] who supported the revolution. >> we wait on another strong army. >> what do they what? that is exactly -- it will not change unless you change all the regime. >> there was a huge sense of excitement. the military says that they wanted to move things to a civilian government as quickly as possible. >> it has been -- the

restoration of one of russia's iconic buildings is set to be near completion. the finishing touches. they are using a rather abnormal and medieval recipes. >> from the outside, all is calm at the bolshoi. inside, decorators are working around the clock to get this lavin complex restoration project closer to completion. far more than a fresh with paid has been needed here. in medieval concoction is being used. this was a theater is sinking into the ground. >> the reconstruction and restoration of one of the main symbols of russia is a very

difficult process. the key task was to keep the building intact. we manage to do this thanks to a -- the building was suspended in the air and the foundations were taken away by hand. the opera house was built in 1776. its effort years of neglect. the main stage was closed in 2005 toward the restoration work. it was meant to reopen three years later. there's been a huge delays and it is now expected to be completed this october. what is finally being achieved here is reviving this bid to its further glory. whatever the reason -- what of the rooms that has had a facelift. but there is still work to do. russia hopes they will remain on track for october's opening. >> this is abc news.

-- this is a bbc news. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies.

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